


and it is written

by Duck_Life



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Character Death, Episode AU: s15e19 Inherit the Earth, Free Will, Gen, Gun Violence, this isn't a fix-it it's a 'what if it was worse'
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-13 01:48:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29893803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Duck_Life/pseuds/Duck_Life
Summary: Sam and Dean go to Chuck to surrender. Chuck actually takes them up on it.
Relationships: Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester
Kudos: 7





	and it is written

“We’re surrendering,” Sam says, choking down his pride and his rage, ignoring the images burned in his brain— Jack’s eyes burnt out of his skull, Charlie trying to hold back tears after Stevie vanished, Eileen’s final unsent text message. Gods like humility in their subjects. He can subject himself to this. “We’re giving up.” 

Chuck smiles at him thoughtfully; the little toy soldier finally does what it’s told. “You don’t mean that, Sam.”

Sam swallows. “I do. Whatever it is, whatever ending you want— fine. The  _ world _ ranks a little above our feelings or free will. Or whatever.” 

“Interesting,” Chuck says, eyes twitching from Sam to Dean. “So you’re totally cool with killing your brother?” Dean doesn’t even react. “Because, you know, every time you get close you always chicken out before the finish line.” 

That’s not entirely true— Sam still remembers, remembers wrestling an axe away from Dean on a Tuesday that never happened, fingers slick with blood, the sickening sound the blade made when it tore through his chest. The difference is this time it’ll stick. 

“I’m not  _ cool _ with it,” Sam says. “But we’re both in this. Whatever it takes, Chuck. Whatever you want.” 

Chuck’s smile doesn’t even look satisfied. Just— inevitable. Like it was always coming to this. Sam feels sick. 

“Good,” Chuck says. “Because I’ve decided that’s what I want. You kill Dean. And I’ll bring it all back.” 

Simple as that. It’s what they came here to do. For a moment, Sam feels like he’s floating outside himself, like his soul’s drifted just a few inches left of his body. Just as suddenly it slams back, and his joints and muscles ache with the realization of what he has to do. 

Dean is looking at him. “Sounds like a deal,” he says, jaw tight. He turns back to look at Chuck. “You wouldn’t happen to have any special requests, or, uh, blocking and staging suggestions for this, huh?” 

Chuck takes a step back, looking relaxed. Enjoying the show. “Just go for it,” he encourages. “Whatever feels natural.” Sam wishes more than anything that he had better aim, that he and Chuck were both decaying in a graveyard somewhere with identical bulletholes in their fucking skulls. 

“Hey.” That’s his big brother, right there next to the car they both grew up in. “Sam.” The air rushing in and out of Sam’s lungs, too fast, too cold, sounds like the wind. “Sam, look at me.” Sam turns. 

Dean doesn’t even look angry. Doesn’t look defeated or diminished. He’s about to die, and now is when he learns to start picking his battles. Sam wants to punch him in the face. Sam wants to throw Dean in the car and drive far far away, go somewhere and live the rest of their miserable lives completely alone on a dead planet because at least he’ll have his brother. 

“It’s okay, Sammy,” Dean promises, and like an idiot Sam still believes him. He always did. “Ain’t no thing. Really. It’s okay.” 

“Dean. I can’t—”

“Sure you can.” Sam thinks about Dean teaching him to shoot a gun. Thinks about Dean lifeless on the floor, his chest and stomach ripped to shreds by hellhounds. “It’ll be okay, Sammy. Gotta get your girl back, right?” 

“ _ Dean _ ,” Sam says. He thinks about Eileen, and Jody and Donna and Charlie and Stevie and Bobby and Claire and Patience and Alex and Kaia. He thinks about the way Dean’s voice sounded just moments ago when he was begging Chuck to bring Cas back. 

“You gotta know when to fold ’em,” Dean says. “It’s okay, Sam. It’s okay.” 

Chuck starts slow-clapping behind them. Sam wants to kill something, but all he has is his brother. “It had to be Dean, of course,” Chuck starts to explain. “Sam is the smart one. The reasonable one. He's the one with a future. And Dean… all he’s good for is killing. The ultimate killer, killed by his own brother. Now there's a story.” 

“That’s bullshit,” Sam says, to Chuck and to Dean. “That’s bullshit.”

“Hey, I know,” Dean assures him, and— and he actually does. Chuck’s words don’t seem to have hit him as badly as Sam thought they would. “That’s not me. I know that. And…” He sniffs. “And when you get Cas back, Sammy, you tell him… you tell him thank you, from me. Tell him thank you for… for getting through to me. For making me see it. See  _ me _ .” 

“I…” Sam starts, feeling the panic rise in his chest as reality sets in. His gun is heavy in the waistband of his jeans. He wonders if it’s easier for Dean to face this if he acts like he’s dying for Cas instead of for the whole human race. “Dean, I—” 

“Whatever you got to say, you better think fast,” Dean says, grinning at him even as he’s blinking away tears. “Hey. Hey. Here.” He hands Sam his own gun. “Use, um. You use mine. And then you don’t have to—”

“Right.” Sam holds his brother’s gun like it’s the heaviest goddamn thing in the world. “Right. I…” He glances over, like he suddenly remembered Jack is still standing there, watching on in mute horror. “Jack. Get in the car. Close your eyes.”

“No! Sam—”

“Kid,” Dean says, meeting Jack’s eyes. “Do what he says.”

Jack stares at him, looking more like a little kid than he has in a long time. Finally he says, “I love you.” 

Dean nods. “I love you too.” Jack gets in the car. Sam clicks off the safety. 

“You don’t deserve this,” Sam says, pointing the gun at Dean. 

“Yeah,” Dean says. “I know.” Which is kind of a big deal, despite everything. “You take good care of Cas and the kid, okay? And… and let them take care of you.” 

“I can’t do this,” Sam says, crying in earnest. The gun shakes in his hand.

“Yes, you can,” Dean promises him. “It’s gotta be this way. I’m sorry.” And suddenly Rowena is wrapping his fingers around the dagger, suddenly Lucifer is forcing his fist against Dean’s bloody face. Suddenly he is all grown up, standing on the side of the road with a gun pointed at his brother. 

Dean says, “I love you,” and Sam is crying too hard to say it back, and the gun goes off and then it’s over. 

A second after Chuck vanishes, Sam can hear an owl hooting. Sounds of traffic drift from the city around them. 

So Chuck kept his word. One last time, Sam and Dean Winchester have saved the world. 

Sam picks up his brother’s body and carries it to the trunk. 


End file.
